‘Brands often speak about changing lives. At Inception, we genuinely get to change lives each day by creating life’: Nicole R. Braley, Chief Marketing Officer of Inception Fertility

“Leaders must be prepared to assess events quickly, process them internally, and prepare to set the tone for what’s ahead.”

Inception Fertility is a family of brands, including the largest network of top-tier fertility centers across the US, offering comprehensive fertility care. Each brand is committed to helping patients build their own families with patient experience at the core. Inception’s purpose is to achieve the highest bar in experience, science, and medicine while enhancing each patient’s experience and achieve better outcomes. Through its growing family of national organizations, which includes The Prelude Network™, Pathways Fertility, MyEggBank^®, and Bundl Fertility, Inception is working to deliver on its promise to push the envelope of what is possible for exceeding patient expectations.

To highlight and further understand what Inception Fertility stands for and seeks to explore in this segment, The Silicon Review spoke exclusively to Nicole R. Braley, the company’s Chief Marketing Officer.

Below is an Excerpt

Q. When you joined as CMO, where did you begin?

Inception isn’t just one brand—it’s a family of brands, businesses, and products that comprise the premier fertility services provider for North America. And, Inception is an innovator and thought leader in the fertility space. When I first joined as CMO, defining brand architecture was my first challenge, including process standardization across brand identities. As the person who oversees the marketing commercial efforts, it was important for me to establish a standardized the lead generation process for each business line. This included some exciting work around developing our technology stack to enable lead journey management, measure defined objectives, and ultimately track revenue from these efforts.

Q. What’s the greatest challenge you have faced? And how did you overcome it?

Navigating today’s business environment isn’t easy—but it’s not the first time we’ve been forced to rethink our strategies for success. The post-COVID work environment provides challenges but also opportunities for business success.

The good news is – this is up to each of us. Yes, each of us has a role to play in championing the most inclusive and effective work environment in this ‘new normal.’

Q. How can you bring leaders and employees closer together to establish trust?

I believe establishing trust comes easiest from leaders that lead with introspection. I write and speak a lot about this, and it’s a topic unto itself. But, especially in times of uncertainty – be a tree. Tap into your roots.

Besides that, I believe in times of uncertainty, or in crises situations, these are the times when leadership and trust matter most. In those instances, these two things to do to establish greater connection and trust in that type of environment:

First, leaders should assess the situation quickly, and in their own space. Allowing yourself to experience your feelings about the event privately to process what’s going on and prepare to hit “reset.”

Outwardly, do not ignore the event or pretend like nothing’s happened. Employees will know, and a lack of acknowledgment can stoke fear and untrust. Address the situation as soon as you’ve processed it yourself, legitimizing their concerns and offering your support.

Second, talk about strength and resilience. Give teams a few days to process the event and show them, through your actions, that you can be resilient and start fresh again.

Q. Who do you look up to and why?

I’m inspired by other leaders who are “all in”— not only invested in business goals but also how those goals are achieved and how they affect the market, community, and environment. These leaders are driven by meritocracy, inclusion, and passion.

Q. ‘Inception is a family of fertility brands committed to helping patients build their own families.’ Splendid. Would you like to talk about this family a bit more?

As the CMO, I have a unique perspective on this. Brands often speak about ‘changing lives. We genuinely get to change lives every day by creating life.

The Ardent Visionary Behind the Marketing Success of Inception Fertility

Nicole R. Braley serves as the Chief Marketing Officer of Inception Fertility. She is a marketing executive, and experienced business leader sought after for speaking, writing, and coaching. Ms. Braley is passionate about developing future marketers and advocating for the importance of brand in delivering positive business outcomes. With a focus on building an exceptional customer experience, Nicole leads numerous commercial pursuits and is known for her innovative and fast-paced style.

Ms. Braley is a member of the Forbes Communication Council and a frequent guest in conferences, on business podcasts, and on event panels. She is a graduate of Texas A&M, where she earned a Bachelors degree and she also earned a Masters degree from Rice University in Houston.

“Inception isn’t just one brand—it’s a family of brands, businesses, and service lines that comprise the premier fertility services provider for North America.”